Otis was introduced in Issue 9 of the Robert Kirkman-Charlie Adlard comic series when he accidentally shot one of the survivors — I won’t spoil it by saying who — then took him and the others to the farm for medical care. Hershel offered the group temporary refuge, until it was discovered he harbored a secret.

“Creatively I have no complaints thus far,” Darabont said in The Hollywood Reporter‘s annual drama showrunner Emmy roundtable. “But I believe if they do move ahead with what they’re talking about, it will affect the show creatively … in a negative way. Which just strikes me as odd. If you have an asset, why would you punish it?”